Sudden Plunge at 91m Altitude... Air India Captain Tests Positive for Marijuana
Passenger Jet Carrying 145 Plunges After Takeoff
Captain Tests Positive for Marijuana
Regarding the accident in which an Air India passenger aircraft, a flagship carrier of India, rapidly descended just after takeoff, resulting in 24 injuries, it has been confirmed that the captain at the controls tested positive for marijuana.
24 Injured in Sudden Descent of Passenger Jet... "Cause of Accident Under Investigation"
According to foreign media outlets including Bloomberg on August 12 (local time), an Air India Airbus A320 passenger plane suddenly plummeted from an altitude of about 91 meters just after takeoff from Phuket, Thailand, en route to New Delhi, India, on August 4.
Although the aircraft subsequently regained altitude and landed safely at New Delhi Airport, the shock during the sudden descent injured 24 people, including 20 passengers and 4 crew members. At the time, there were 137 passengers and 8 crew members on board.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) of India stated, "We are currently systematically collecting all technical and operational evidence and investigating the cause of the accident."
Two Pilots Removed From Flight Duty Until Final Results
Previously, Indian media outlet NDTV, citing anonymous sources, reported that the captain who operated the accident flight had smoked marijuana. The Ministry of Civil Aviation of India announced that immediately after the aircraft arrived in New Delhi on August 9, standard psychoactive substance tests were conducted on two pilots.
The ministry explained that the captain tested positive in the initial examination, and that the sample is being re-analyzed for further confirmation. It also added that both pilots have been removed from flight duty until the final results are available.
The standard psychoactive substance test is a procedure conducted when a relatively serious passenger aircraft accident occurs; if the initial test is positive, a follow-up confirmation test is performed. It has been reported that the captain of the accident flight also tested positive in the second test.
Meanwhile, Air India, founded in 1932, holds the second-largest market share in India, after IndiGo, in what is the world's fastest-growing airline market. The formerly state-owned airline was acquired by the Tata Group in 2022 and merged with Vistara, a joint venture between the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, in 2024.
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However, the airline's business performance has deteriorated. Air India recorded its largest-ever net loss, exceeding USD 2.3 billion (approximately KRW 3.37 trillion), in the 2025–2026 fiscal year that ended in March. In particular, the company faced serious difficulties due to the closure of airspace following an armed clash between India and Pakistan in May last year, as well as a passenger aircraft crash in June of the same year that killed 260 people. As a result, Singapore Airlines, which holds a 25.1% stake in Air India, has been increasing its management involvement since last year.
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